List of Terms

ArticlesArticles in reference to Usenet are any individual messages contained in a newsgroup discussion. Articles make up all of the content available on Usenet. Articles are not necessarily the same ...

BackboneBackbone refers to the main "pipes" that Internet data travels on from one network to another (example: from Giganews to your computer). Giganews maintains multiple connections to Internet backbones. These ...

CompletionCompletion refers to the percentage of articles a Usenet server actually has versus how many articles that server could possibly have. Many potential issues, such as network congestion, under powered ...

Encrypted Usenet AccessEncrypted Usenet access takes advantage of SSL technology to encrypt all of the data transmitted between a client machine and Usenet server. SSL is the same technology used to secure ...

HeadersInformation contained within a newsgroup post identifying the subject of the article, the newsgroup it was posted to, its author, the date it was created, the original Usenet server the ...

HopsA hop is a single step that data takes as it travels on the internet to its destination. Fewer hops from start to finish generally result in a faster connection. ...

LatencyLatency refers to the time it takes for an Internet packet to go from one location to another location (one way latency) or from one location to another location and ...

News ReaderA news reader is a program used to access Usenet newsgroups using the NNTP protocol. News readers are also commonly known as news clients, or simply readers or clients when ...

News Server / News ServersA news server is a computer in a Usenet network which is involved in the process of managing Usenet articles. News servers are responsible for storing or exchanging newsgroup articles ...

NewsfeedA newsfeed refers to all of the articles posted to Usenet newsgroups. Newsfeeds are generally measured in articles per day, terabytes per day, or megabits per second. As the world's ...

Newsgroup HierarchyA Newsgroup Hierarchy is the organized structure newsgroups are sorted into for easy location and classification. The broadest of these hierarchies are known as top-level hierarchies (or big 8), examples ...

PostsA post is a message contained within a Usenet newsgroup. Posts are often times referred to as newsgroup articles. A post may contain human-readable text, or binary information. Depending on ...

PropagationPropagation refers to the distribution of Usenet posts from one Usenet system to another. For example, if you were to post a newsgroup article on Giganews' Usenet servers we would ...

Reader ServersA Reader Server is a computer within a Usenet system used to allow end users to post and download Usenet articles. A reader server may also be part of a ...

RetentionRetention refers to the length of time articles are stored in a Usenet system. Retention is usually determined by "first in - last out" logic where the oldest articles are ...

StreamsAlso known simply as a connection, a stream is an open session between a news client and a Usenet server. All Usenet traffic, from updating headers to downloading newsgroup articles, ...

Uncensored Usenet NewsgroupsUsenet newsgroups are part of a global community of users. With the exception of moderated newsgroups, most newsgroups are uncensored and allow you to view a wide range of information ...

Usenet AccessUsenet Access refers to the method used to read Usenet newsgroups. You can get Usenet access from your ISP, educational institution, corporate network, or through a premium provider like Giganews. ...

Usenet Newsgroup OutsourcingNewsgroup outsourcing is a method by which internet, cable, and other telecommunication providers can offer Usenet services to their customers without the need to operate an in-house Usenet server. Through ...

Usenet PeersUsenet peers refers to the other Usenet servers a Usenet system exchanges articles with. For example Giganews may exchange Usenet articles with your university's Usenet server. If this were the ...

Usenet SpamUsenet Spam typically refers to posts consisting of commercial advertising; however, certain types of abusive posts designed to disrupt newsgroups are also referred to as spam such as sporge or ...